Motor vehicle door lock



Aug. 1, 1939. .1. PALMER" MOTOR VEHICLE Doon Locri` Filed May s, -1958 3sheets-sheet 1 Illllllllllllll Illlllllllllllln In venfor 5e/: P@ Z722e7' Aug. l, 1939. v J. PALMER MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK 3 sheets-sheet 2Filed May 9, 1938 I Inventor v JSE/@ Palmer Attorneysl J. PALMER2,167,675 1 MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK Filed May 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3In Uenfor Aug. l, 1939.

#om cys Paned Aug. 1, i939 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-Ice 2.161.615 Moron.VEHICLE Doon. Loox Joseph Palmer, New Rochelle, N. Y. Application my s,icas, sel-au No. :ossea 4 claims.' (c1. iso-s2) This invention relatesto closure fasteners and more particularly to a door lock for the doorofan automobile body.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for locking thedoors of an automobile body in such a manner that the locking devices,in response to vacuum, will hold the doors securely locked so that saiddoors cannot be opened while the vehicle is in motion.

Further in accordance with the present invention means is also providedfor locking the throttle lever of an internal combustion enginesimultaneously :with an unlocking of the doors of the automobile so thatthe buttery valve l5 controlling the supply of fuel to the internalcombustion engine can be operated only when the doors are securelylocked.

'I'he invention together with its objects and advantages willbe bestunderstood from a study oi the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an automobile illustrating theapplication of the invention thereto, Figure 2 is an enlarged detailview partly in section and partly in elevation of an automobile doorshowing a lock assembly associated there? with,

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a vacuum tank,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the lock for thebutterfly valve lever.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line-5 5 ofFigure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the region of thehinge mounting of an automobile door and showing the manner ofconnecting the vacuum conduit associated with the door and bodyrespectively of the automobile 4o body. y

Figure 'Z is a` longitudinal sectional view through a vacuum-responsivebolt-operating member,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through a control valve,

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line9-9 of Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a plan view showing a combination operating handle andindex for the control valve and a scale against which the index isreadable for indicating the position of the control valve.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that inaccordance with the present invention there is provided for each of bolt8 is yieldably urged into a retracted posithe doors 5' of a conventionalautomobile 5 a lock assembly which, as shown in Figure 2. includes abolt 8 slidable through a suitable guide 9 provided in the edge I0 ofthe door, and which tion through the medium of a suitably providedspring II.

Connected with the bolt 8 is a vacuum responsive device I2 whichconsists of a fixed cylinder I3 suitably mounted in the hollow of thedoor ,10 through the medium of brackets I4 and an elongated piston I5which has a sliding t in the cylinder I3. At the outer end thereof thepiston I5 is pivotally connected through the medium of a link I6 with alever I1 that is pivoted inter- 15 mediate its ends within the hollow ofthe door 5 as at I8, 'the lever I1 at the opposite end thereof beingpivoted to the inner end of the bolt 8 as shown in Figure 2. A vacuumconduit I9 is connected with one end of the cylinder I3 as at 20 20. Itwill thus be seen that upon the formation of vacuum in'the line I9piston I4 will be caused to move inwardly oi' the cylinder I3 resultingin a rocking of the lever Il in a clockwise direction thus projectingthe bolt 8 to engage the 25 usual keeper therefor and thereby securelylock the door 5 in closed position.

The conduit I9 connected with each cylinder I3 extends to the hingededge of the doorand terminates in a anged end seating within also recess2l provided in the hinged edge ofthedoor as shown in Figure 6. Seatedwithin thefrecess 2| is an apertured washer 22 of rubber or, othersuitable material which, `when the door 5 i is in closed position, abutsand` aligns with a com" plemental apertured disk or washer 23 seatedwithin a recess 24 provided in theedge of `the body of the vehicleagainst which the hinge edge of the door 5 abuts when said door 5 is inclosed position. 'I'he washer 23 is in alignment with l an end of aconduit 25 that is suitably concealed within the body portion of theautomobile.

'I'he several conduits 25 are suitably connected as at 26 with thecasing 2l of a control valve 28. 45 (See Fis. 8.)

'Ihe casing 21 of the control valve 29 is connected through the mediumof a conduit 29 with a vacuum tank 30 suitably mounted beneath the hood3l of the automobile as suggested'by lbroken 50 line in Fig. 1, andwhich vacuum tank is in turn connected through the medium of a conduit32 with the intake manifold 33 of the internallcombustion engine. In theconnection between/the tank 30 and the conduit 32 is a check valv,e ,3;

vided with a manipulating handle 42.

The control valve 28 also includes a hollow valve core that has arotating llt within the casing 21 and is provided with pairs of ports 35in the periphery thereof to be selectively used dependent upon whetheror not it is desired to hold all or only any selected one of the doorslocked under the influence of vacuum.

Also, in the bottom thereof the valve core 35 is provided with a port 31to communicate the interior oi' the valve core with the vacuum tank.

For operating, that is to say rotating the valve core 35 to the desiredposition of adjustment there is provided an operating stem 38 that atone end is provided with a squared head 38 that `ts within a squaredrecess 40 provided therefor in one end of the valve core 35. Head 38 isheld in engagement with the recess or socket 40 through the medium of acap 4I threaded on one end of the valve 'casing 21.

'Ihe stem 38 extends through the instrument board of the automobile andat said end is pro- Handle 42 is provided with an index 43 adapted to beread against a dial 44 provided on a dial plate 45 suitably mounted onthe instrument board. A dial indicia 44 is shown in Fig. 10 and is suchthat by reading the index 43 thereagainst the operator may know theposition of adjustment of the valve core 35, that is to say whether thecore is in such a position that vacuum is being used for holding all ofthe doors locked, or all of the doors and. in a manner hereinafter mademanifest, the throttle valve lever 46 locked, or only certain of thedoors locked, leaving the other doors free to be opened as founddesirable.

Thus it will be seen that with the valve core 35 in a proper position ofadjustment vacuum in the lines I9 and 25 will serve to draw the pistonsI5 inwardly of their respective cylinders I3 and consequently the doorbolts 8 to projected position for securing the doors 5 locked; thevacuum being created during the running of the internal combustionengine. Thus it will be seen that while the engine is running the doors5 may be securely locked and against accidental or unauthorized openingthereof. Obviously such is a material safety feature especiallywhere therear of the automobile is being occupied by small children.

For locking the throttle or buttery valve lever 46 against movement tomove the valve to open position when the vehicle is at rest, I providean assembly as clearly shown in Fig. 4 and which consists of a cylinder41 suspended from the intake manifold 33 through the medium of brackets48 and connected at one end with the manifold 33 through the medium of aconduit 43. A piston 50 has a sliding fit within the cylinder 41 andthis piston is connected by a suitable clamp 5I with a cylinder 52 thathas a sliding fit in a guide sleeve 53 that is suspended from thecylinder 41 through the medium of clamp extensions 48a.

Slidably fitting within the cylinder 52 is a piston 54 which is providedat its outer end with an integral latch rod 55 that is adapted to beprojected in the path of the weighted end 45a of butterfly valveoperating lever 45 as shown in Fig. 4 whereby to cooperate with theadjusting screw.;56 usually provided for the lever for securing thelever against unauthorized movement.

Piston 50 is normally projected outwardly with respect to its cylinder41 through the medium of a suitably provided coil spring 51 while piston54 is normally projected outwardly with respect to aimera its associatedcylinder 52 through the medium of a coil spring 53.

As shown inFigure 4 cylinder 52 is also connected with a port providedtherefor in the casing 21 of valve 28 through the medium of a exiblevacuum conduit 53. The core 35 is provided with a pair of ports 85 whichcooperate with the conduit 59 to place the cylinder 53 in communicationwith the valve 25 when the core 35 is in either one of two positions.

From the above it will be apparent that when it is desired to permitmanipulation of the butterfly valve for the running of the vehicle andthe rear and front doors locked in response to vacuum the valve lever 42is turned to the position shown in Figure 10 whereupon the valve core 35is in such a position that vacuum will be utilized for drawing andmaintaining pistons I 5 in an inward position in respect to theirassociated cylinders I3 for holding the bolts 8 of the doors inprojected position, and at the same time a suction is created incylinder 53 through conduit 53 and one of the ports 60 for retractingthepiston 54 and latch ba'r 55. This permits the throttle lever 48 to bemanipulated in the running of the car and all the doors are held inlocked position.

Obviously when it is desired to maintain only the rear doors locked thevalve lever 42 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction from theposition shown in Fig. 10 to position the index 43 in alignment with theletter R at the left of Fig. 10.

When it is desired to maintain only the front doors locked lever 42 isswung in a clockwise direction to align the index 43 with the letter Fat the right of Fig. 10.

When the valve lever 42 is turned to either the letter R or the letter Fthe core 35 is in a position to place the locks of two doors incommunication with the interior of the core while the locks of the othertwo doors are out of communication with the core 35 and in these twopositions of the lever 42 both ports 55 are out of communication withthe conduit 53 so that the vacuum to the cylinder 53 is broken and thusthe spring 53 will project the latch bar 55 so that the throttle levercannot be moved beyond idling position so that it will be impossible tostart the vehicle while any of the doors are open.

When it is desired to test the motor of the vehicle the lever 42 isturned to a position where the pointer 43 will be opposite the lowerletter C which will place the port 50 shown in section in Figure 8opposite the conduit 59 so that vacuum will be produced in the cylinder53 to retract the latch bar 55 and thus the throttle lever can bemanipulated to run the engine and in this position the ports 35 are outof communication with the conduits 25 so that the doors are all open.When the engine is not in operation of course no suction is producedthereby and then the spring 51 moves the piston 50 and cylinder 53 tothe left in Figure 4 so that the latch bar 55 is moved from under thethrottle lever which permits the engine to be started up by the starter;but when the engine begins to operate and produces suillcient suction tomove the piston 50 to the right against the action of the spring 51 therod 55 is projected under the throttle lever which prevents the throttlelever being opened to a suillcient degree to cause the engine to movethe vehicle. y

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction. utilityand advantages of an invention of this character will be had without amore detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a vehicle locking device, and in combination with the doors of thevehicle, an internal combustion engine having'an intake manifold, and ,abutterfly valve control lever, locking bolts slidably mounted ,on thedoors, vacuum responsive devices connected with said bolts in a mannerto act thereon for pro-jecting the bolts to a doorlocking' position, aspring-projected latch bar mounted in operative position to thebutterfly valve control levez and normally projected by said spring intoengagement with the lever for releasably securing the latter lockedagainst movement, a vacuum responsive device connected with said latchbar in a manner to act on the latch bar to retract the latter out ofengagement with said lever and in opposition to said spring, and conduitmeans connecting all of said vacuum responsive devices with said intakemanifold.

2. In a vehicle locking device, and in combination with the doors of thevehicle, an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold,

and a butterfly valve control lever, locking bolts slidably mounted onthe doors, vacuum respon- 'sive devices connected with said bolts in amanner to act thereon for projecting the boltsv to a door-lockingposition, a spring-projected latch bar mounted in operative position tothe butterfly valve control lever and normally projected by said springinto engagement with the lever for releasably securing the latter lockedagainst 'movement, a vacuum responsive device connected with said latchbar in a manner to act on the latch bar to .retract the latter out ofengagement with said lever and in opposition to said spring, conduitmeans connecting all of said vacuum responsive devices with said intakemanifold, and a manually operable control valve'arranged in said conduitmeans for controlling communica-4 tion between said vacuum responsivedevices and the intake manifold whereby all or a selected one or more ofthe several vacuum responsive devices may be operated simultaneously orselectively, optionally.

3. In a vehicle locking device, and in combination with the doors of thevehicle, an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, andA abutterfly valve control lever, locking bolts siidably mounted on thedoors, vacuum responsive devices connected with said bolts in a mannerto act thereon for projecting the bolts to a door-locking position, aspring-projected latch bar mounted in operative position to the butter-.iiy valve control lever and normally projected by said spring intoengagement with the lever for releasably securing the latter lockedagainst movement, a vacuum responsive device connected with said latchbar in a manner to act on the latch bar to retract the latter out ofengagement with said lever and in opposition to said spring,

conduit means connecting all of said vacuum responsive devices with saidintake manifold, an additional vacuum responsive device mountedintermediate theintake manifold and the aforementioned vacuum responsivedevice connected with said latch, conduit means connecting saidadditional vacuum responsive device directly with said intakemanifold-and means connecting said additional vacuum responsive devicewith the vacuum .responsive device connected with said Latch bar wherebyto shift the latter mentioned vacuum responsive device and said latchrod bodily in either direction, as and for the purpose specied.

4. In a vehicle locking device, and in combination with the doors of thevehicle, an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, and abutteriiy valve control lever, locking bolts slidably mounted on thedoors, vacuum responsive devices connected with said bolts in a mannertoact thereon for projecting the bolts to a door-locking position, aspring-projected latch bar mounted in operative position to the-butterfly valve control lever and normally projected by said springinto engagement with the lever for releasably securing the latter lockedagainst movement, a vacuum responsive device connected with said latchbar in a manner to act on the latch bar to retract the latter out ofengagement with said lever and in opposition to said spring, conduitmeans connecting all of said vacuum responsive devices with said intakemanifold, a

JosEPH PAIMER; 6

